Our Fitness Blog

Is Your Body Calling for a Break?

The answer is pretty simple. Absolutely. When you are following a consistent fitness routine, no matter what type of routine, your body needs to take a break to rest and recover. Rest days are an essential part of our exercise program. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how long you should rest or when it is needed. That really depends on a variety of factors including a person’s age, fitness level and eating habits. It is always good to know when your body is calling for a break and the many benefits of getting proper rest throughout your fitness routine.

Prevent Injury
Scheduled rest days throughout your workout regimen will help reduce injuries that are caused from overtraining. Overtraining happens when you put too much stress on your body without proper rest, which can make you more prone to an injury.

Allow Muscle Growth
Lifting weights creates tiny tears in your muscles that can only heal during your rest periods. That healing process is what strengthens your muscles and makes them stronger. After your rest day, you will notice that your body feels stronger and more energized during your next workout.

Motivational Enhancement
As stated before, when your body is rested properly, you will feel 100% better the next time you hit the gym. When you’ve gone too long without resting, you will become not only physically drained but also mentally drained, and you will find it more difficult to get into the gym. Rest and recovery will prepare you for your workout, and you will definitely enjoy it more the next time!

Maintain Life Balance
While maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle is very important, so is participating in other areas of interest in your life. For example, you should still make time to have an active social life or engage in activities with your kids. Even though fitness is important to me, so is spending time with my loved ones and being able to enjoy other activities. When you start training too much, it can leave you too burnt out to enjoy other interests in your life, which can possibly leave you in a bad mood!

Here are some signs that your body is in need of a “rest day.”

Decreased Performance & Lack of Motivation

Fatigue

Mood Changes

Inability to Sleep

Soreness

Try one of these routines if you are feeling any of the above to allow your body to rest, and your body will thank you for it!